NNAS is expressed as a number of symptoms that occur in a newborn infant who was exposed to addictive illegal or prescription drugs while in the mother's womb. Infants of mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy may also be born with a similar condition. Causes of NNAS can occur when pregnant women take substances such as, amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam, clonazepam), cocaine, marijuana, opiates/narcotics (e.g., heroin, methadone, codeine), and others. These and other substances pass through the placenta to the baby during pregnancy, and the baby can become addicted due to the mother's intake of these substances. At birth, the baby may still be dependent on the drug. Because the baby is no longer getting the drug after birth, symptoms of withdrawal may occur.
NNAS also occurs in some infants who are born prematurely, even to otherwise healthy mothers. Some premature infants are given ventilator support to assist their breathing, and are often sedated by intravenous morphine. Eventually, the infants are weaned off the ventilator but may still suffer symptoms of withdrawal and need treatment for NNAS.
Treatment for NNAS generally involves the administration of very small doses of a medication that eases withdrawal symptoms. The process of using an oral or other syringe to draw up medication from a stock bottle can be difficult and inaccurate to ensure appropriate dosing, especially when performed by the new parent or other at-home caregiver. Such difficulties and inaccuracies raise the risk for error and improper treatment for these vulnerable patients. The aforementioned process also presents a significant barrier to discharge for patients, since medical staff and/or social workers need to be confident that the parent or other at-home caregiver will be able to follow the prescribed regimen, and to not divert the supply of the narcotic from the infant for non-prescribed and possibly illegal purposes.